Zebras
by Ageless Writer
Summary: Zebras- noun- animals that are closely related to the horse, that live in the Savannahs. In police terms, Zebras are the most simple answer to a question that typically goes unnoticed. What happens when some of these Zebras show up at Gibbs and Courtney's door. Sequel to Beginnings, GibbsxOFC.
1. Prologue

**Prologue:**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything but my own original characters, such as Courtney Hale and her team. Everything and everyone else belongs to CBS, and more specifically, to Bellisarious. Thank you for reading this.**

Gibbs pulled Courtney closer to him, smiling. "What movie did you pick this time?"he asked, kissing her cheek. Courtney smiled.

"A favorite of mine, _The Green Mile_. Really can get one to thinking about the supernatural... You know... If something like this could really happen..."Courtney answered. Gibbs rolled his eyes.

"Just a movie, Court."he said, kissing the top of her head. She rolled her eyes.

"I know that... I like to use my imagination for good sometimes though, instead of recreating a murder."she pouted. Gibbs chuckled, looking around.

"Penny joining us for the movie or...?"he asked. Courtney smiled.

"I'll get her... She tuckered herself out today going to the park and terrorizing the bigger dogs."Courtney said, getting up. Gibbs chuckled, smirking.

"Like Master, like pooch."he commented. Courtney rolled her eyes.

"I do not terrorize people bigger than me, I just... Make sure they know who's boss."Courtney retorted, going to the back room. She found the little dog laying in her doggy bed, carefully picking her up. "Come on girl... Movie night..."Courtney spoke, chuckling as the dog licked her face. She went back to the couch and sat down, puppy in lap.

"There's my other girl."Gibbs chuckled, petting the dog's fur. Penny wagged her tail, getting in Gibbs lap. Courtney pouted.

"That is my seat. I called it."she complained, the dog just looked at her, her head cocked to the side, not sure what to do. Gibbs snickered and carefully put Penny out of his lap, pulling Courtney into it. Penny pouted and crawled into Courtney's lap, laying down.

"Start the movie, Dear?"he asked. Courtney nodded, starting the movie. Gibbs smiled, holding her close, petting the dog. The movie started up, and they settled into a comfortable arrangement. Half-way through the movie, Gibbs heard his phone ring. He swore. "Sorry..."he apologized to Courtney. She smiled and paused the movie.

"Rule Six... Remember? Besides, we can watch this movie another night."Courtney smiled, kissing him cheek. He sighed and answered his phone.

"Yeah, Gibbs?"Gibbs answered. Tony was on the other line.

"Hey Boss... We got a new lead on our case. Turns out our victim was in the arms dealing business. Vance says we need to go find out who he was selling too. And we both know the best way to do that. Right?"Tony asked. Gibbs sighed.

"Yeah... An op... When does Vance want us to go?"he asked. Tony stopped talking for a few moments, setting his cell phone down before coming back.

"Director Vance said tomorrow. That he booked us a flight to the last place our victim reportedly sold at, the Bahamas, and the flight leaves at 0700 tomorrow."Tony answered. Gibbs swore softly.

"Alright. Call up the others, tell them to pack. See ya tomorrow, DiNozzo."Gibbs replied. Tony nodded.

"Got it Boss. Goodnight."the Italian-American said as he hung up. Gibbs kissed the top of Courtney's head. She looked up at him, her blue eyes looking into his.

"New case?"she asked. Gibbs shook his head.

"A lead on our newest one. I have to head out tomorrow. To the Bahamas... Dunno when I'll be back..."Gibbs answered. Courtney pouted.

"That's not fun. I'll miss you too much and Penny will whine so badly..."Courtney said, snuggling into him. Penny, hearing her name, raised up and looked around, licking the faces of her masters. Courtney chuckled. "Down Girl... Down..."she spoke. Gibbs held them close to him, but wrinkled his nose up at Penny licking him.

"Pen... I know you're gonna miss me, but I don't like dog slobber on me."Gibbs spoke. The fluffy dog whined softly, but laid down, curling up close. Courtney pouted.

"Not only do you gotta leave tomorrow, but you just insulted our dog. What do you gotta say for yourself?"Courtney asked. Gibbs smiled sweetly.

"This."he responded and kissed her, pulling her close. She didn't offer any resistance, letting him. He pulled away carefully and smirked at the dreamy expression she had. "Still mad? Because if you are... I can fix that."Gibbs bragged, allowing his hubris to get the better of him. Courtney raised an eyebrow.

"Is that so Agent Gibbs? I'd like to see you try."she challenged, looking him in the eye. Gibbs smirked and kissed her again, to which she hit him playfully. "No. That's cheating."she teased, smirking. Gibbs chuckled.

"I see... Guess I'm resorting to this old fashioned tactic then."Gibbs said before he began to tickle her sides. She yelped in surprise at first, which turned into laughing. Penny jumped down from the couch, barking playfully as her owner was being "attacked".

"PENNY! Get him!"Courtney called out playfully between laughs, trying to get away from Gibbs who was still tickling her. The dog yipped and tried to attack Gibbs' foot, her tail wagging. Gibbs laughed at the scene he was causing, his girlfriend trying her best to pull his hands away from her.

"Give up?"he asked smirking, nuzzling her neck as he slowly stopped tickling her. "Or have you not had enough yet?"he asked, his breath on her neck. She closed her eyes, sighing.

"Okay... You win this round. But you are soooo getting it when you come back."Courtney stated. Gibbs chuckled.

"I can deal with that."he spoke, looking down at Penny who was still trying to bite his feet. "Penny. Down Girl."he commanded softly, picking the dog up so he could sit her in Courtney's lap. He smiled. "I think we can hit play now..."Gibbs said. Courtney rolled her eyes.

"Yes dear..."she said, pressing the play button...


	2. Chapter One: Cases

**Chapter One: Cases**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything but my own original characters, such as Courtney Hale and her team. Everything and everyone else belongs to CBS, and more specifically, to Bellisarious. Thank you for reading this.**

Gibbs woke up the next morning, a warm presence snuggled close to him. He smiled and looked down to see the brunette woman laying on his chest, kissing the top of her head. Glancing over at the clock, he swore softly seeing the time and gently disentangled himself from the sleeping woman, going to get dressed. The movement and sound woke Courtney, causing her look for him. "Le...?"she asked, searching. Gibbs smiled.

"Right here. Getting dressed. Don't got much longer before I gotta leave for the airport..."he said, buttoning his shirt. Courtney reached over to the nightstand and grabbed her glasses, putting them on.

"So you were just gonna leave without saying 'goodbye' or telling me to go back to my apartment?"Courtney asked, pouting. She rose up, pulling the covers with her to keep herself covered. Gibbs sat on the bed beside her.

"I don't pull the whole love and leave crap. You should know that."he said softly, kissing her. She kissed him back and sighed.

"I know... I just need to wake up I guess..."the brunette answered, laying back down. Gibbs smiled.

"I didn't finish... As for the telling you to go back to your apartment, I won't. Stay as long as you want."Gibbs said, smiling. Courtney chuckled.

"Get dressed, before I decide you can't leave me."she spoke, chuckling. Gibbs smirked and finished getting ready before going downstairs for coffee. Courtney got up and grabbed one of his shirts and picked it up, putting it on before going downstairs after her boyfriend. Gibbs saw her and smirked as she walked down the stairs.

"You know what? Even though that shirt does not fit you at all, it looks better on you than me."he teased. Courtney rolled her eyes.

"Unhuh... Right..."she answered, grabbing a bowl to pour her some cereal. Gibbs smiled.

"I meant that... Really."he said, kissing her cheek as she sat down beside him at the table. The brunette chuckled.

"I'm sure... So have you seen Penny?"she asked. Gibbs clicked his tongue, and the pitter patter of dog paws echoed as the dog ran in, tail wagging. Courtney smiled. "Morning Pen."Courtney greeted the pooch. Gibbs looked at his watch and swore.

"Gotta go... Stay as long you want. I'll be back as soon as I can. Then I promise a weekend of just you and me and the dog, relaxing."Gibbs said, kissing her softly. Courtney sighed.

"Okay. Love you. Be careful. Call."Courtney said. Gibbs smiled.

"Of course. Love you too. Bye pooch."he told Courtney and called to the dog before leaving. Courtney sighed and finished her cereal, looking at the dog.

"Just gonna be me and you for awhile Penny..."she sighed, her phone rang. "Great... Now what?"she asked, grabbing her phone. "Detective Hale."she answered.

"We got a call out Courtney. Someone found a dead woman in Trusdale Park. Want us to meet you there or...?"Jade asked. Courtney sighed.

"I'll be there in about thirty. Go ahead and get started on the scene when you get there. Fill me in later."Courtney answered. She could picture the raven-haired woman nodding.

"Got it, See ya when you get there..."Jade answered before hanging up. Courtney swore and looked at Penny.

"Scratch that Girl. Looks like it'll be you and Mrs. Wilkerson for awhile..."

ooooooooooooooooooo

Gibbs sat down on the plane, for once grateful that the government was allowing them to use a private jet. McGee and DiNozzo sat across from him, Ziva beside him. "Okay... Let's review what we know. McGee, you start."Gibbs spoke. McGee nodded.

"Yes Boss... Um... Let's see... Our dead guy, Christopher Self... He was the supplier in this arms dealer business with the main dealer under the codename, Sagittarius. His financials showed that he had over a hundred thousand dollars in off shore accounts..."McGee said.

"He made plans to go to the Bahamas to meet with his next buyers."DiNozzo spoke, smiling.

"Our goal is to try and intercept by having Tony go deep undercover as another supplier, then we make our arrest."Ziva finished. Gibbs nodded.

"Works for me."

ooooooooooooooooooo

Courtney walked up to the scene, Jade and Ryan were gathering evidence while Damion was taking witness reports. Trisha and Amanda were looking over the body. Courtney walked up to the MEs. "So... What do you think happened?"she asked. Trisha jumped slightly as she turned.

"Scared me to death Courtney! Shouldn't sneak up on someone like that... But as for your question, this poor girl was tortured to death..."Trisha said.

"She kinda makes me think of you somewhat Detective Hale... She even has that half-heart scar on her wrist... Just like you..."Amanda spoke. Courtney looked at the body and noted some similarities between her and the dead woman. Such as they both had brown hair, blue eyes, their body structure seemed to be similar. It was frightening, Courtney paled slightly. '_No... Not him... It can't be him... He... He has death row..._'Courtney thought. She looked to Trisha, to confirm her theory, the one she hoped wasn't correct. The older woman bit her lip.

"I... won't know more until the autopsy. But I have this feeling... That you and I know who did this... I just pray that it isn't so..."Trisha spoke. Courtney nodded, understanding.

"Yeah... I know what you mean... Let me know."the detective spoke, walking back over to Jade and Ryan. "What did you two find?"she asked.

"Not much. The woman's glasses were broke, so we put all the pieces in an evidence bag. We found a cloth that has some form of a sleep agent or something on it. We found blood, a lot of it. According to Trish, the girl was tortured."Jade answered. Ryan sighed.

"That's pretty much it until CSU gets here and Tristain works on the evidence. Not to mention all that we won't have until Trisha's autopsy is done..."the blond man spoke. Courtney nodded.

"As soon as we figure out who she is, we can question her family and friends, workmates..."Courtney answered. Amanda walked over to them.

"Hope I'm not interrupting... But Dr. Ederwood found her wallet... Her name is Lisa Musso. By the looks of her business card, she works for the newspaper."Amanda spoke, pushing her red hair back. Jade nodded.

"Thanks for name. Now we can learn more."Jade spoke, trying as she always did to make the newbie feel welcome. Amanda smiled.

"Thanks.. I... Need to go now... With Dr. Ederwood..."Amanda said, leaving. Damion walked up.

"No one saw anything. Guy who called it in said she was there when he started his walk. But no one saw anybody throw her here or anything."Damion spoke. Courtney swore softly.

"We got what we need... Back to the precinct."she said, headed to her car before anyone could ask why. She glanced in the passenger seat and froze when she noticed the little folded up piece of paper. Courtney grabbed it, opening it.

'_I told you I would be back Detective Hale. Lisa was just a warm up. After all, I am a bit out of practice. Remember, I'm always watching._' The note read. Courtney bit her lip. '_No... No... It can't be him... It can't be..._'she swore mentally. She began the drive to the precinct, needing to be surrounded by all the other police...


	3. Chapter Two: Deja Vu

**Chapter Two: D****è****j****á** **Vu**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything but my own original characters, such as Courtney Hale and her team. Everything and everyone else belongs to CBS, and more specifically, to Bellisarious. Thank you for reading this.**

Gibbs stretched as he and his team left the plane, needing to wake up his "asleep" limbs. "DiNozzo... You and McGee go get the bags. Ziva, go check into the hotel, make sure our rooms were reserved okay. I'm gonna go and get us a rental car."Gibbs spoke. The others nodded and left to do their assignments. Gibbs walked up to the lady in the window.

"Yes Sir? How may I help you?"she asked sweetly. Gibbs wanted to scrunch his nose up at her obviously fake enthusiasm. He sighed.

"Yes... I would like to rent a car down here please? Just for about a week or so..."he told her. She nodded.

"Okay. Anything specific you want about the rental?"she asked. Gibbs shook his head.

"Just as long as it's a dark color and four door. We're fine."Gibbs answered. The lady nodded and made a quick phone call before handing him a car key.

"The rental you'll be using is number 89. Have a nice vacation."she said, her fake smile on. Gibbs just nodded and walked over to Ziva.

"Rooms good?"he asked. The Israeli nodded.

"Yes Gibbs. We have all the rooms we requested. Get the car?"she asked. Gibbs smirked.

"Did ya have to even ask Ziver?"he asked, showing her the keys in his hand. Ziva chuckled.

"Guess not."she answered as Tony and McGee walked up with the bags.

"Please tell me that we got a car so we don't have to carry these all the way to the hotel..."Tony whined. Gibbs rolled his eyes and took some of the bags from the younger agent.

"Don't worry DiNozzo... I'm gonna drive us to the hotel."the older man said, starting for the door. Tony looked at his coworkers.

"We're dead... Aren't we...?"

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Tristain was lost in his music and forensics when the doors opened. He turned around quickly at the sound, only to find himself face to face with Courtney. "Court! Hey. What can the Almighty Forensics Wizard do for you today?"he asked, smiling. Courtney shot him a look.

"Not right now Tristain. Just tell me what you got."Courtney spoke. Tristain pouted.

"Fine. But this isn't nearly as much fun as normal..."he whined. She shot him a look and he smiled. "Okay... Not the point... So... I found that your Lisa Musso was near-sighted. The lenses in her glasses indicate as such in their prescription. The stuff on the cloth found by my three musketeers had chloroform on it. A favorite in the world of date rape... That and roofies... Though we aren't gonna get into that... Um... The clothes she was found in had semen in them... Which means she was either intimate with someone before being taken... Or..."

"She was raped."Courtney finished. Tristain nodded.

"Yeah... Which I'm guessing is highly likely... Right?"he asked. The brunette nodded.

"Anything else?"she asked. He nodded.

"Yeah... Her clothes had blood on them, but it wasn't her blood type. See, Musso was type B+. This blood was O-... Not a match... Must be the killers... Right?"he asked. Courtney shrugged.

"Could also be from another victim who was trying to help her..."Courtney countered. Tristain shook his head.

"Why are you being so pessimistic about this case? It's almost like you've seen this before..."he said. Courtney sighed.

"Because... I have... I think... It looks familiar... Won't know for sure though... Not until Trisha gets done with that autopsy..."Courtney answered, starting for the elevator. Then she turned back to the forensics specialist. "Tristain..."Courtney started. The black man turned to her.

"Yeah?"he answered. She handed him the note from her car.

"Run that. I wanna know whose prints are on it. Okay?"she asked. Tristain nodded.

"On it Boss!"he saluted her before going back to work. Courtney rolled her eyes and started back to the elevator. She needed to see Trisha. Now.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 

Gibbs said a brief prayer of thanks as he turned into the parking lot of the hotel. If he had to listen to DiNozzo ramble on for another minute about how many different movies were filmed in the Bahamas, he was going to shoot him. "Another movie I just thought of that was filmed here was _Jaws: The Revenge_. Interesting movie. Great for its time... Though all the Jaws movies were awesome..."DiNozzo rambled on. Ziva slammed the door as she got out.

"Tony! Do you have to always make some sort of remark about movies? Does it not get annoying to you?"she asked, agitated. Gibbs headslapped both of them, something that was rare for him to do. Not to Tony, as he was slapped often, but it was rare for Ziva to be headslapped.

"Both of ya. Shut up. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear you got married behind my back the way you two act."Gibbs spoke. McGee tried not to laugh as the two more experienced agents' faces flushed. They grabbed their bags and went into the lobby, checking in and going to their rooms. Gibbs let out a sigh of relief, ready to have a moment to talk to the detective, to let her know that he had made it there okay.

"Detective Hale."she answered as usual, but something in her voice sounded distracted.

"Hello to you too... Everything okay? You sound distracted..."Gibbs spoke. She chuckled breathlessly, almost as if she were forcing it.

"Everything's fine here. Just working on a case... It seems as if this will be a tough one so... I might need to get back to work... Make it to the Bahamas okay?"she asked. Gibbs smiled.

"Yeah... Nearly killed DiNozzo though... His incessant ramblings about movies... Drove me crazy..."Gibbs replied. She laughed, this time for real, and it made him smile.

"He's not that bad. He's just being Tony."Courtney managed to say. Gibbs chuckled.

"Sure... Anyway, since you're busy, I'll let you go... I probably should get started on my case down here anyway... Love you."Gibbs said. He could imagine her smile at that.

"Love you too. Be careful."Courtney said, hanging up. Gibbs sighed as she hung up and placed his phone back in his pocket. '_Show time. Gotta get DiNozzo prepped and ready, gotta find out who the main supplier is... Gotta get lunch..._' Gibbs thought to himself, starting for the door. He walked up to Tony's room's door and knocked.

"Come in."he heard the Italian-American call out. Gibbs walked in and saw Ziva and McGee had already beat him there, all three sitting on Tony's couch. "Nice of ya to stop by Boss.:"Tony teased. Gibbs shot him a look.

"So... We ready to get started with the plan?"he asked. McGee nodded, pulling out his laptop.

"Ready to start the process when you guys are, Boss. Just gotta turn on the laptop..."McGee spoke as he hit the power button. Tony smirked.

"You know... This is really making me think of the movie _Bourne Identity_. Of course... You guys aren't erasing my actual memories of being Anthony DiNozzo Jr., just the computer's memories of me being me. But I'm still getting the new identity... Or maybe this is more like that show, _In Plain Sight_. All about the witness protection program."Tony rambled on. Gibbs headslapped him.

"Enough of the references DiNozzo!"Gibbs growled, fed up. Tony pouted.

"But... How else am I supposed to have fun with this Gibbs?"Tony whined. Ziva rolled her eyes.

"McGee... Is the computer on? Because now is as good a time as any to start working on Tony's new self..."Ziva spoke. McGee nodded.

"Everything's operational Boss. Just needs input."

oooooooooooooooooooooo

Courtney put her phone up and walked into autopsy, Trisha standing there smirking. "Lemme guess who was on the phone. Jethro?"the older woman teased. Courtney rolled her eyes.

"Maybe..."the detective answered. Her eyes went over to the body laying down on the table. "So... What have you got for me?"she asked. Trisha turned to her assistant, Amanda.

"Miss Porter, would you please go and take the rest of what we found up to Mr. Dupree?"Trisha asked. Amanda nodded.

"Of course Doctor."she complied, taking a few samples with her as she left. Trisha looked at Courtney.

"I... think you may want to sit down."the doctor spoke. Courtney furrowed her brows.

"Why? It's a copy cat... Right? I mean... He's... He's on death row. You can't get out of that. Now can you?"Courtney talked. Trisha bit her lip.

"Dear... I don't believe it was a copy cat... I found... Semen... inside of her... And judging by the bruises on her inner thighs, she was raped. Brutally. The rest of her extremities are also covered in bruises and cuts, from how he tortured her."Trisha showed the detective the bruises and cuts. "And here she has bruising on her knuckles, probably from fighting him off."Trisha showed her the knuckles. Courtney shook her head.

"Poor girl... Never had a chance..."the detective spoke. The ME sighed.

"I know. But this is what worries me, Courtney. Her wrist. He cut it just like he cut yours. Half a heart. It even scarred like yours."Courtney shook her head.

"He's on death row. There is no way he's out. We gotta be dealing with a copy cat."Courtney argued, unwilling to believe he was free. '_He can't be... There's no way..._' she thought.

"Courtney. Listen to me. This man cut her wrist with what I am willing to bet is the same knife he used on you. The person who cut this had to be right-handed. He was right-handed."the older woman spoke.

"So are a million other people Trisha. Doesn't mean anything. Brian Arnet is on death row and he isn't coming out."Courtney argued back. Trisha swore.

"Okay. Fine. But how many people do you know with O- blood? How many people do you know who actually know about your scar? Courtney, face the fact. He could be out, and if he is, he's after you."Trisha told her. Courtney sighed.

"Look. If it'll make you feel better, I'll check with the penitentiary. Okay?"Courtney relented. Trisha sighed.

"Fine... But please... Be careful..."


	4. Chapter Three: Delegations

**Chapter Three: Delegation**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything but my own original characters, such as Courtney Hale and her team. Everything and everyone else belongs to CBS, and more specifically, to Bellisarious. Thank you for reading this.**

Courtney walked into the squad room. "Tell me, what do we got on Ms. Musso?"she asked her 'team'. Jade pulled up a file to look through.

"Musso hadn't really been working on any big stories as of late. According to her boss, she got along with everyone and was a hard worker."Jade answered. Courtney looked at Damion.

"Anything on the family end?"she asked. Damion looked through his notes before answering.

"Most of her family lives in Fairfax, Virginia. They were, shocked, to say the least about her death. She hadn't said anything to them about being at odds with anyone."he said. Ryan cleared his throat.

"I found out that she had asked her boss to take some vacation time. A week ago. She was supposed to go visit her boyfriend in Tuscon, Arizona."Ryan spoke. Courtney looked at him.

"Supposed to? Meaning she never made it, did she?"Courtney asked. The blond man shook his head.

"No. He told me he tried getting in touch with her but thought something family wise or work wise came up. And because her boss gave her vacation time, he never reported her missing. Family never reported her missing because they thought she was with her boyfriend."Ryan explained.

"Seems like whoever did this knew when to go after her... Huh?"Damion asked. Courtney sighed.

"Seems that way. Okay... Damion, you and Jade head over to Fairfax. Talk to the family. See if you can get anything else out of them. Ryan, you and I are going to her apartment to see what we can find."Courtney delegated. The others nodded and started towards the elevator, ready to go...

oooooooooooooooooooo

The team was sitting around still, trying to wrap up how to best do this undercover op. "Okay. Here's how we'll do this. DiNozzo, posing as international arms dealer Reagan Mitchell, will go to that restaurant that Self was going to go to... The Coconut Cove. That was were he was scheduled to meet the main supplier for lunch. So DiNozzo goes there to make contact. We observe, the dealer screws himself over, we arrest him, bring him to the hotel, and question him. We find out what he was planning to do with the shipments, take him back to the states. We're done."Gibbs delegated.

McGee sighed. "If only it was always that easy..."the younger agent spoke. Tony scoffed.

"Don't doubt my abilities McProbie. I'm good at undercover ops, and even better at getting people to talk."Tony retorted. McGee rolled his eyes.

"Whatever you say Tony."McGee answered. Ziva rolled her eyes.

"Both of you, stop arguing. You act like children."Ziva threatened. That shut the two men up quickly, causing Gibbs to smile a small smile. It was times like this he was beyond grateful to have the Israeli woman on his team.

"Come on. Time to get started..."Gibbs said, standing up. Tony sighed.

"Show time."


	5. Chapter Four: Contact

**Chapter Four: Contact**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything but my own original characters, such as Courtney Hale and her team. Everything and everyone else belongs to CBS, and more specifically, to Bellisarious. Thank you for reading this.**

Gibbs watched as Tony shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "DiNozzo. Relax. I thought you wanted to be just like Jason Bourne or James Bond or whoever it was you were going to pretend to be."Gibbs recalled softly into the ear wig. Tony sighed.

"Right Boss. Just getting comfortable."Tony murmured. Gibbs rolled his eyes.

"Sure DiNozzo... McGee and Ziva, you good on your end?"he asked.

"We are good Gibbs."Ziva answered. Gibbs glanced at them. They were on the other side of the restaurant, acting as a couple, trying to be inconspicuous.

"Good. We can't give this guy any reason to doubt DiNozzo."Gibbs spoke. McGee chuckled.

"Well, I wouldn't worry about that Boss. Tony's self confidence is way too big for anyone to doubt him."McGee joked. Tony rolled his eyes.

"Classy McGee... Where are your big Johns Hopkins words? Huh?"Tony snarled. Ziva swore.

"Both of you, stop witching."she snapped.

"It's not witching Ziva..."Gibbs started to correct the ex-Mossad officer.

"Doesn't matter. It was accurate, no?"the Israeli woman asked.

"Close enough."McGee answered, going to be quiet. As soon as the team quieted down, a young woman walked in, her head up high. She glanced over in Tony' direction, a confused look on her face before she sat down.

"Are you... Christopher? Because... If so... You are... Different than your image..."the woman spoke, her voice heavily accented. Tony smirked.

"Actually ma'am, Christopher is... Indisposed right now... This business he and I are in... Not a pretty one... So I decided to show up instead. Allow me to offer my services. I am Reagan Mitchell."Tony shook her hand. The woman looked at him, trying to decide whether to trust him or not.

"So... Reagan... Do you know who I am?"she asked, looking Tony in the eyes. Tony looked at her carefully, trying to place a name to her face.

"Not really, but if you were wanting to see Christopher, I know what you want..."Tony answered. The woman looked him over one more time.

"Okay. I will take you up on your offer to help then. You may call me Ms. Aqua."the woman stated. Tony looked at her, confused.

"You don't look like an Aqua. Maybe a Monique..."he said, gesturing to her black hair and green eyes, her tanned skin. She rolled her eyes.

"Flattery will get you nowhere with me. I am in a relationship, and never date coworkers."she spat. He smiled sheepishly.

"Of course not Ms. Aqua... So... How much we talking?"he asked. "And what kind of weapons are you looking for?"he asked. The raven-haired woman thought for a moment.

"Automatic weapons. About twenty. I will you give two grand for each weapon. Five hundred for each batch of ammo."Ms. Aqua spoke. Tony nodded.

"Good. Just one more thing."he started to say before McGee, Ziva, and Gibbs surrounded them. "You're under arrest for arms dealing. By the United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service."Tony told her. She swore as Gibbs began to handcuff her, Ziva showing her badge to keep the other customers at bay.

"I have done no wrong. You have no proof."she screamed. McGee shook his head.

"Actually... You did. You see, arms dealing is frowned upon where we're from. Especially if the arms dealing may result in a terrorist attack."McGee spoke. She glared at him.

"You have no idea who you are dealing with."Aqua spat at the younger man, struggling as she was being led away...

ooooooooooooooooooooo

Ryan and Courtney combed over Lisa Musso's apartment, searching for anything that might be useful. "I found her cell phone... We could use it to find out if she got any weird phone calls or texts..."Ryan said, bagging it up into evidence.

"Yeah... Unfortunately, that seems to be the only thing useful we've found... Her place is... Spotless..."Courtney spoke before a realization hit.

"What if she was attacked here and the attacker cleaned up after himself? No one's home is this clean."Courtney thought out-loud. Ryan pondered that thought for a moment.

"It's plausible... We could call CSU and see if they can find cleaners on the carpets and bedding. If so, then that could add to it."Ryan responded. Courtney nodded, getting her phone out to call the lead CSU detective, Detective Benjamin James. After a few moments she hung up.

"They're on their way. We're gonna stay and help as we can, just to make sure nothing gets overlooked. That's how cases get thrown out."she said. Ryan smirked.

"You're starting to sound like Dante, Court."the younger detective spoke of their usual prosecutor. Courtney rolled her eyes.

"But it's the truth, is it not?"she asked, a thought running through her mind. She still hadn't called the penitentiary yet, and they were just standing around. "I need to make one more phone call, then I'll be more focused... Okay?"she asked her companion.

"Sure thing. I'll go wait for CSU outside, make sure they don't get lost like they did a few weeks ago on the Tomlin case."Ryan said, remembering the last case they solved before leaving. Courtney sighed and dialed the number.

"Hello?"the warden's gruff voice answered. She took a deep breath in preparation.

"Hey, this is Detective Courtney Hale. I was calling to make sure that Brian Arnet was still in your custody on his way to death row."Courtney went straight to the point.

"Why do you need to know?"he asked. Courtney felt herself glare.

"Because I have a dead woman on my ME's autopsy table with his MO. Now I'm only gonna ask once more. Arnet. Is he in your prison?"she asked. She heard the man on the line sigh.

"I... Am ashamed to say that he escaped us... We were transferring him and... He managed to escape..."the warden admitted. Courtney tensed up.

"He. Escaped? And you didn't alert the rest of us?!"she yelled, suddenly terrified.

"We alerted the FBI and the U.S Marshals. Didn't think to alert other officers. Sorry."he apologized.

"Don't apologize to me. You should apologize to my dead woman's family. If you had alerted us sooner, we may have been able to protect her. Or at the least save her."Courtney barked at him. He sighed.

"He just escaped a few weeks ago... We didn't think. I'm sorry. Now, if you'll excuse me... I need to go..."he hung up, Courtney swearing up and down. '_This means that Trish is right... Which means... He's loose... Which means... No woman is going to be safe ever again... Or at least... Not until we can nail him again..._' she thought, her phone ringing snapping her out of it.

"Hello. Detective Hale."she answered. The voice on the other line chuckled darkly, causing all color in her body to leave and chills run down her spine.

"Hello Detective. Did you miss me?"


	6. Chapter Five: Chills

**Chapter Five: Chills**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything but my own original characters, such as Courtney Hale and her team. Everything and everyone else belongs to CBS, and more specifically, to Bellisarious. Thank you for reading this.**

"No. Can't say that I have."Courtney finally managed to say when she pulled herself together. She heard him chuckled again.

"Too bad. I missed you. More importantly, I miss the chance I had with you... But never fear, I plan to rectify that this time."Arnet spoke. Courtney glared.

"Over my dead body."she spat. He chuckled even more.

"Poor dear, you don't understand. I can't kill you... Not yet anyway... I haven't even begun to have fun with you. I haven't even had a chance to taste you."he spoke. She felt the chills roll down her spine, the adrenaline and her mind telling her to run, to hang up.

"You won't get a chance. We're going to arrest you before then, if not, kill you."she threatened. He laughed.

"Oh how big you talk, Detective. No doubt something you picked up from that Navy cop I've seen you with from time to time. He seems like he's all talk too. No, no. You won't kill me, nor will you be able to catch me again. I promise."he told her. He smirked. "Oh... By the way. You may want to make your way to Newport Drive. I've dropped off another one."Arnet admitted. Courtney clenched her teeth, closing her eyes. She could only imagine what he had done to her, to any of them.

"You're sick. You know that?"she spoke. She could imagine his sick smirk at that and shuddered.

"I know. Oh... By the way. It's so warm outside, why are you wearing that jacket?"he asked. She paled immediately and pulled her jacket over her more, suddenly feeling colder. She hung up, unwilling to play his mind games anymore. Ryan walked in.

"Hey... Whoa... You okay Courtney? You look... Pale... Almost sick..."Ryan asked. Courtney turned to him.

"Yeah... I'm fine... Just... Got another call out... This time at Newport Drive... Call Jade while I get a hold of Damion and we can start over there."Courtney answered. Ryan looked her over, making sure she was being honest.

"Okay... If you say so..."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Gibbs sat down on the couch across from the black-haired woman, never looking away from her. "Wanna explain?"he asked, being straightforward. She glared at him, something he was used to from women by now. He just glared back, observing her.

"You have this all wrong. I wanted those for protection."Ms. Aqua spoke. Gibbs looked at her.

"Oh really? Then why did you want twenty? And such big guns too..."Gibbs spoke. She looked at him. He got closer to her, close enough to murmur in her ear. "Listen carefully. If you co-operate now, you might actually make it out of prison before you're an old woman."Gibbs murmured. She took a deep breath.

"Okay. Okay. Here is what happened. I was to hire a man who could deliver the weapons to me. I gave them to the man who hired me, we all get paid. End of story."Ms. Aqua answered. Gibbs sat back down on the couch, in front of her again.

"Who is the man who hired you?"he asked. She bit her lip.

"He... Told me to call him Dragon. I have no idea what his real name is. I don't even know why he wants the weapons."she answered. Gibbs looked at her.

"Okay. Let's say I believe you. How far are you willing to go for a deal?"he asked. She looked at him.

"Far enough. Why?"she asked.

"Because... I have an idea to catch the 'Dragon' as you call him. But I'm gonna need your help, which you should give me in exchange for your deal."Gibbs told her. She nodded.

"As you Americans say... Lay it on me."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Courtney walked over to the body where Amanda and Trisha were. This woman was also a brunette, blue eyed. And she had the half-heart scar on her right wrist... '_Perfect..._'she thought, full of sarcasm. "So... What's it look like to you Trisha?"the brunette asked. The older woman shook her head.

"Like the exact same thing I saw when I first became acquainted with Ms. Lisa Musso... A woman who was tortured to death and by the same MO as Brian Arnet. Courtney, I know you don't want this to lead to him, but the facts are all there."Trisha spoke, trying to get the younger woman to listen. Courtney sighed.

"I know it's him. He escaped... And called me... Called Tristain on the way up here... Said he couldn't find anyone after the call dropped, but said the closest he found was the apartment building next door..."Courtney admitted. Trisha shook her head.

"I told you... But don't worry... I am sure that the other detectives would not mind you staying with them. If not, you can stay with me."Trisha rambled. Courtney had tuned her out though, going over the crime scene, walking over it. His voice still ringing in her ears...


	7. Chapter Six: Set Ups

**Chapter Six: Set Ups**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything but my own original characters, such as Courtney Hale and her team. Everything and everyone else belongs to CBS, and more specifically, to Bellisarious. Thank you for reading this.**

Gibbs was laying down on the hotel bed, waiting. Ms. Aqua had yet to call and let him know that her employer, "Dragon", had called her. It had been weeks with no contact from her whatsoever. He closed his eyes, thinking of going to sleep, when his phone rang. Gibbs swore and answered. "Yeah. Gibbs."

"Agent Gibbs... He just called me. Told me to meet him at Pier 56. Tonight. With the shipment. Thought you should know."Ms. Aqua said from the other line. Gibbs swore.

"Okay. Come by the hotel ASAP. We'll form a plan."Gibbs told her.

"See you in ten."she spoke, hanging up. Gibbs sighed and got up, going over to the coffee machine and pouring a cup. He took a nice long drink before walking next door to Tony's room. He knocked loudly.

"DINOZZO! Up! Aqua will be here in ten. Get McGee while I wake up Ziva!"Gibbs commanded, loud enough for the Italian-American to hear through the door.

"Okay Boss!"Tony called from the other side, his voice heavy laden in sleep. Gibbs smirked slightly before going towards Ziva's room. He knocked loudly and the Israeli woman opened the door.

"Yes Gibbs?"she asked, looking at him. He noted how she was already up and dressed.

"I was about to tell you to get dressed and ready. Aqua's boss called, and she'll be here in ten to make a plan."Gibbs spoke. Ziva nodded.

"We all meeting in Tony's room again?"she asked. Gibbs shook his head.

"Nope. Mine this time. Spread the word."Gibbs said, turning to leave.

"Of course Gibbs..."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Courtney was wracking her brain for anything that would help. They had three victims now, all brunettes, blue-eyed, and half-heart scars. All were about the same height and build, average for a woman in build, about 5'3" to 5' 4" in height. Caucasian. '_Same profile from the last time he was out... Except for the scar was on the neck of his former victims instead of their wrists... Ryan can't trace his calls. Tristain can't find anything other than his blood type... Which could be anyone's blood type if word got around... Gosh I'd give anything to have his body in autopsy for what he did to those girls..._' Courtney thought.

She glanced up as the doors opened up, Tristain smiling as he entered. "Hey Courtney. Found these in the lobby for you. I bet they're from Jethro. If they're not, you got some serious explaining to do."the tall man smirked, setting the box of chocolates down. Courtney raised an eyebrow.

"Was there a card attached?"she asked. Tristain shook his head.

"Other than your name. Nothing else was on it."he said. Jade smiled.

"Maybe it's a secret admirer Court."the raven-haired woman spoke, smirking. Courtney opened her mouth to say something when her phone rang. She answered.

"Detective Hale."she used her usual answer.

"Hello. Did you get my gift?"the other voice asked. Courtney paled and turned to Ryan, mouthing for him to trace her call. The blond man rushed to his computer, starting up his tracing program.

"Yeah. I got it. Think I may throw it away now though... Knowing who sent it."Courtney snapped back. He chuckled darkly, sending chills down her spine.

"Oh, don't worry beautiful. I didn't poison them or anything. It's all okay. Just chocolates."he spoke, trying to coax her. Courtney glared.

"Yeah? And I've recently become the Queen of Sheba."the detective retorted, looking Ryan to see if he traced it. He shook his head, mouthing for her to keep talking.

"Oh. I'm wounded. You don't trust me... You should though, you'll be depending on me later."Arnet spoke, his voice calm and even.

"That's what you think. We're going to find you before then though. And you'll be lucky if we don't kill you."she snapped. He laughed, another wave of chills going down her spine.

"You're so confident Courtney... It's rather endearing. However I hate to inform you, but I won't be caught. Not this time."he said as he hung up. Courtney swore and turned to Ryan.

"Please tell me you traced the call that time."she half-pleaded. Ryan swore.

"No. This Arnet guy is good at disguising his phone calls... Kinda scary... He might be better than me..."Ryan answered. Jade scoffed.

"No way, Ry. You are a much better geek than some creep. Don't ever forget that."Jade told him. The blond man smiled.

"Thanks..."he said, looking at Courtney. "So... What now?"he asked. She handed the chocolates back to Tristain.

"I want you to run diagnostics on these. See if their poisoned or something..."Courtney told the taller man. Tristain nodded.

"You got it Boss Lady."he saluted before turning back to his lab. Courtney sighed, turning to her "team".

"Let's go over his previous murders, see what we can pick up on..."the older detective delegated, handing out files. Damion sighed.

"Oh today's going to be sooo much fun."the Japanese man remarked, sarcasm heavy in his voice. Courtney sighed.

"We gotta do it though. Not much else we can do right now... Might help us anyway..."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Ziva walked into Gibbs' room and sat down on the couch, between McGee and Tony. Ms. Aqua sat down in the chair, Gibbs standing. "So... What is your big idea for this... Op?"the black-haired woman asked. Gibbs shrugged.

"I was thinking something along the lines of you go like your supposed to, my team surrounds the place. Keep him from leaving."Gibbs answered, shrugging. She looked at McGee, Tony, and Ziva.

"And that simple approach works?"she asked, unconvinced. Tony shrugged.

"It does for us. But then again, we are NCIS, people don't think of us when they think of cops. Well... Usually they don't."Tony rambled. Ziva rolled her eyes.

"Besides, if he runs, we don't miss when we shoot. Or at least, I don't."Ziva reassured the woman. Ms. Aqua nodded.

"Okay... I trust you then... And my deal will come through... Correct?"she asked. McGee nodded.

"Yep. You'll have your deal for cooperation."McGee answered. She smiled.

"Excellent."


	8. Chapter Seven:Closing

**Chapter Seven: Closing**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything but my own original characters, such as Courtney Hale and her team. Everything and everyone else belongs to CBS, and more specifically, to Bellisarious. Thank you for reading this.**

Gibbs observed carefully as the woman walked the pier, waiting. "See anything?"he asked through his microphone, talking to his team.

"Nothing yet."McGee checked in from his position behind the boat house.

"Nothing here Gibbs."Ziva answered, looking around her assigned area near the boats.

"Zilch here Boss."Tony said from his position in the wooded area. Gibbs sighed.

"Maybe he'll show soon."Gibbs hoped, ready to go home.

"I see a car coming."Tony responded. Gibbs nodded.

"Everyone be on guard, no telling what all could go down."Gibbs told them, watching out for his team. The car pulled up, a man walked out. Tall, about 6'1", black haired. '_Great._'Gibbs thought as he watched the scene unfold. The man had walked up to Aqua, talking to her. "Start closing in."Gibbs told his team as he got of the car, going towards the pier.

"Right Boss."the others chimed in. He could hear them moving by the way their mics rustled. Gibbs pulled out his gun.

"Freeze."he commanded. The man turned around before pulling his own gun out.

"What is the meaning of this Aquarius? I thought I said I wanted my shipment. Not cops."the man spoke. Ms. Aqua bit her lip.

"Please... Just calm down. Put the gun away. It is useless to try and run."she told him, trying to help herself some. He scoffed.

"Oh please. Why would I run if I could just kill them?"he asked. Gibbs smirked.

"Because you can't kill us all. Especially not if I tell Ziva to shoot."Gibbs retorted. The man looked at Gibbs, confused.

"Ziva?"he asked. Just as he asked, Ziva, Tony, and McGee showed up, surrounding them.

"I would be Ziva. Don't doubt me."Ziva spoke, her voice low and threatening as she pulled her gun. Tony looked at the man.

"Trust me pal, you really, really don't wanna make her angry. She's like a mix of The She-Hulk and Red Widow when she's angry."Tony stood up for the Israeli woman. Gibbs glared at him.

"So 'Dragon', what's it gonna be? The easy way or the hard way?"he asked. The man known as 'Dragon' sighed and set his gun down, his hands over his head.

"I know when I am beaten... Though do not expect me to turn over backwards for you like Aqua did. I am not a turn coat, nor will I ever be."the man spoke, defiance in his voice. Gibbs smirked as McGee and Tony handcuffed him, mirandizing him.

"We'll see about that, 'Dragon'."Gibbs told the man, looking at Tony. "Put him in the back of our car, between you and Ziva. McGee, you're up front with me. I'm driving."Gibbs told them. Aqua looked at him.

"What about me, Agent Gibbs?"she asked. Gibbs sighed.

"I talked with my director... Our idea for your deal wasn't an easy one to come to... But... We have decided that for your cooperation... We're gonna let this go... This time. The next time you're caught in a smuggling ring or arms dealer shipment, you're going away for a very long time. Got it?"Gibbs asked. The woman nodded, teary eyed.

"Thank you, Agent Gibbs..."she thanked him before leaving. Gibbs shook his head and walked over to the rental car, getting in. It was time for another round of 'interrogate the suspect', and he needed to focus...

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Detective Hale. Come here."Benita called out to the detective. Courtney walked up to her.

"What is it Benny?"she asked, confused. The elder woman sighed.

"I... Have been instructed to take you off this case. And I personally think it's a good idea..."Benita told her. Courtney glared.

"What?! Why?"the brunette woman asked, stunned. How dare her boss try to take her off this case? She and her team would make more progress than anyone else would, and she knew the killer's profile; heck, she even knew who the killer was.

"Because you are way to close this. I... Dr. Ederwood has told me that this case's main suspect is Brian Arnet. I have been informed that he has escaped... And that in her professional opinion... He seems to be fixated on you. I can't afford to lose a good detective like you and I really can't afford to have one become obsessed over a case like I know you'll do."Benita explained. Courtney opened her mouth to argue but swore instead.

She knew she couldn't argue about this, she knew it was all true. She would end up obsessing over this case, and she knew that he was fixated over her. Courtney sighed. "Okay... Okay... You win. I'm off the case. What do you expect me and my team to do now?"she asked. Benita sighed.

"I said you were off the case. Not them. You will be working cold cases while the others continue working on this case. I'm sorry."Benita explained further. Courtney bit her lip to keep from shouting at her boss.

"Yes ma'am."she replied through clenched teeth, walking over to her desk. Oh, this was not her day. First she got another creepy call from Arnet, plus a box of poisoned chocolates, and now this. Her life at the moment, sucked.


	9. Chapter Eight: Confessions and Ends

**Chapter Eight: Confessions/Ends**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything but my own original characters, such as Courtney Hale and her team. Everything and everyone else belongs to CBS, and more specifically, to Bellisarious. Thank you for reading this.**

"So 'Dragon', what's your real name?"Gibbs asked as he drove the car, going around. The man remained silent so Gibbs pressed down on the gas, causing the passengers in the vehicle to brace themselves. He ended up shaking the prisoner around.

"Alright. Alright! My name is Reuben Strauss. I work for a recon operator in Afghanistan."he admitted. Gibbs slowed down, going back to normal speed.

"So what were you going to do with all those weapons?"Tony asked, looking at Reuben as he relaxed. The older man sighed.

"I was to ship them out back to Afghanistan. I have no idea why. They just wanted them."he said.

"You believe that DiNozzo?"Gibbs asked. The Italian-American shook his head.

"Nope. I mean come on, how in the world can an arms dealer go through all that trouble and not know what the buyers are gonna do with their products?"Tony asked. Gibbs smirked.

"That's what I though..."Gibbs said as he hit the gas, causing the car to speed up. He came up on a stop sign and hit the brakes hard, causing Strauss to be jerked.

"Okay... Okay... I get it, I get it. Look. My buyers told me they were at war and needed the weapons for their militia. I decided they deserved a way to defend themselves. My bad."he admitted, looking at Gibbs. "Please... Just get it over with and take me back to the states... I'm starting to get sick..."Reuben pleaded. Gibbs looked at McGee.

"We got enough that Vance'll let us come home?"he asked. McGee nodded.

"We sure do Boss."the younger agent spoke. Gibbs smiled.

"Good."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Gibbs sighed in relief as he started to pack up. Three weeks. That was how long he was stuck in the Bahamas with his team, how long he had went without seeing his detective. He picked up his phone and dialed Courtney's number, going to let her know he was coming home. Her phone rang about five times before she answered it.

"Hey Leroy. How are things in the Caribbean?"she asked, her voice filled with relief. He smiled.

"I'm getting to come home. We finally caught our supplier and he's gonna lead the NCIS team in Afghanistan to his little friends. Meanwhile my team is getting a few weeks off. I'm thinking of spending mine with you... What do you think?"he asked. He pictured the brunette woman smiling.

"I think that's a great idea. Come by my place ASAP, okay? I missed you..."Courtney answered. Gibbs smiled.

"Missed you too... You got it... See you in about... Five hours?"he said. She smiled.

"See ya then. Love you. Be careful."Courtney told him. Gibbs smiled.

"Love you too. See you soon..."Gibbs replied, smiling as he hung up. Gosh he missed her...

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Courtney smiled as she hung up, going back to finishing her paper work on the cold cases. She needed to get done so she could go home, to get ready for when Gibbs came back. Courtney finished and turned it all in to Benita. "I think I'm gonna head home... Not much else for me to do here..."she said. Benita looked at her.

"Okay... Be careful though... Do... You want me to send a detective with you?"she asked. Courtney shook her head.

"My boyfriend will be there, and considering he's a navy cop, I'll be well protected."Courtney answered. Benita nodded.

"Okay... Okay... Just asking."she said. Courtney smiled weakly.

"Glad to know you care though... Bye."Courtney waved as she left, going to her apartment to get ready for Gibbs' arrival...


	10. Epilogue

**Epilogue:**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything but my own original characters, such as Courtney Hale and her team. Everything and everyone else belongs to CBS, and more specifically, to Bellisarious. Thank you for reading this.**

Courtney walked into her apartment, immediately greeted by the happy barking of Penny. "Hey Penny. Leroy's coming home. We're gonna get to keep him all to ourselves."Courtney told the dog, getting down to her level to pet her. Penny barked and licked her hands, her tail wagging so fast, the woman thought she'd shake it off. She chuckled and stood up.

"I'm gonna get a shower... I'll be back in about ten..."Courtney told the dog, going into her room. She dug out a t-shirt and a pair of shorts to sleep in, along with a differerent underwear. After about ten minutes, she had resurfaced from her bathroom, her hair still damp from the shower. She heard Penny barking in the living room and smiled. '_Leroy._' the brunette woman thought, walking into the living room. Courtney walked up to the door, opening it. "Hey Le-"she started before she gasped, seeing who it was, trying to slam the door shut.

Arnet pushed the door open, walking in. "Oh... Why were you going to lock me out Detective?"he asked. Courtney grabbed the quickest thing she could grab, the remote.

"Because you're not supposed to be here. In fact, you should be on your way to the electric chair or however it is you're going to die."Courtney called throwing the remote at him before running back to the kitchen, grabbing what she could. Arnet followed after her, Penny trying to bite him. He glared at the dog, kicking her. She whined and Courtney threw a plate at him.

"Leave my dog alone!"she screamed, rushing him and hitting him in the stomach. He doubled over, but managed to push her down. Penny ran over to Courtney, growling as menacingly as she could at the intruder. He took a step closer before the dog jumped and bit his hand, hard enough to draw blood. He winced and threw the dog into the bedroom, locking her in there. Courtney stood up and grabbed the baseball bat Gibbs had left from a previous date, hitting Arnet with it. "I said to leave my dog alone, you prick!"she cried out.

Arnet grabbed the bat and swung it away, grabbing her and pinning her to a wall. "Now.. Behave..."he growled. Courtney struggled against him, trying to make him lose his grip on her. To no avail, it just caused him to tighten his grip, placing a cloth on her face. She struggled, holding her breath as long as she could. Before long, her vision blackened, she couldn't help it. She breathed in, finding herself losing consciousness. Arnet smirked as he picked up her limp body, carrying her out to his vehicle...

ooooooooooooooooooooo

Gibbs finally turned in his final report to Vance. "Can I go now?"he asked. Vance smiled.

"Sure Gibbs. Go. Enjoy your week off."Vance told him, giving him the leeway to leave. Gibbs nodded and left, going to his car, excited to see Courtney after three weeks of being gone...


End file.
